I re-read
Peter’s address to the crowd in Acts 3 today [Acts 3:11-16]. I found it to be quite humorous as I thought
of Peter addressing the crowd with such self-assurance, and such
self-confidence that he was almost condescending! Not long before this speech before the
Sanhedrin, it was Peter himself dropping the keys after being installed
as prince of the apostles, given the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and called “rock” (or Cephas) by Jesus! Shortly after
that Jesus called him Satan because he tried to derail Jesus from His vocation
(“Get
behind me!”) [Matthew
16:13-23]. So, when Peter proclaimed, “Why
are you amazed at this, and why do you look so intently at us as if we had made
him walk by our own power or piety?” it brought to mind the Gospel when Jesus, in the upper room
after the Resurrection, had asked His disciples — Peter included — a question
as well, “Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in
your hearts?” [Luke
24:36-49].
But I’m
really no different than Peter; my faith can swing from certitude to doubt in a
moment. So, I have a special place in my
heart for what I’ve come to call the “second chance” narratives in the Gospels. Like when Jesus told the parable of the
unproductive fig tree; the owner wished to cut it down because after three
years it still produced no fruit. But
his servant offered to cultivate around it and fertilize and give it a little
more time [Luke 13:1-9]. A second
chance.
There’s also
the story in Mark 8 when Jesus heals the blind man of Bethsaida, but the man
responds, “Yes, I can see, but people appear like trees
walking!” And Jesus must try again, healing the man for
the second time [Mark 8:22-26].
I don’t know
about anybody else, but I’m glad to be given a second chance. And a third, and…
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